BYD's Yangwang Altior flagship gets suicide doors

BYD's ultra-luxury brand Yangwang has started revealing details of its next flagship, an executive sedan called the Altior, ahead of its debut, Electrek reports.

Rear-hinged doors and a jewel-like grille

Yangwang general manager Hu Xiaoqing confirmed on Friday that the Altior will use rear-hinged "suicide" doors, the first time a BYD model has had them. According to Hu, the doors swing open to nearly 90 degrees, leaving a wide opening to the cabin, a feature usually associated with cars like the Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Hu also posted a preview of the front end, with a dot-matrix "gemstone" grille and crystal-inspired headlights. BYD hasn't released full specifications, but the sedan is expected to be about 5,500 mm (216 in) long, and images of a disguised car released last month suggest a shape and size similar to the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class and Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Launch outside China

Unusually for BYD, the Altior's global premiere will take place in the UAE rather than in China, Hu said last week. BYD hasn't confirmed a date; CarNewsChina, citing people familiar with the project, says the unveiling is planned in Dubai around Nov. 5.

Yangwang executive general manager Zheng Yu has promised "unprecedented disruptive technology". One teaser image showed the car at a BYD Flash Charging station, which hints that it will use the company's second-generation Blade Battery and fast-charging system. Reports that it could be BYD's first car with solid-state batteries remain rumours for now.

Where Yangwang fits

Yangwang sits at the top of BYD's brand ladder, above Denza. Its line-up includes the U7 sedan, the U8 off-road SUV and the U9 electric supercar, and it has been the launch platform for BYD's most advanced tech, including the quad-motor e4 platform, which BYD says delivers more than 1,300 hp, and the DiSus-X body control system.

BYD's push upmarket comes as the company deals with slower growth at home; see our report on BYD's third-quarter profit, exports and inventory. If you're curious how ultra-fast charging compares with what you can do at home, our explainer on how long it takes to charge an EV covers the basics, and our guide to LFP vs NMC batteries explains the chemistry behind BYD's Blade cells.